Walker, Whitehead Named 2013-2014 Booster Club Players of the Year
Blake Walker helped to lead his team over Dordt in the first round of the NAIA Division II National Championship Tournament.
Oskaloosa–The William Penn University Athletics Booster Club has announced the recipients of the second annual John Eberline Player of the Year Awards.
Senior men’s basketball player Blake Walker (Rose Garden, Ga., Physical Education) won the Male award, while senior softball player Jennifer Whitehead (Oskaloosa, Iowa, Biology) collected the Female honor.
Walker guided the Statesmen to a 24-10 record last winter, including a 9-3 mark in the Midwest Collegiate Conference. The MCC Player of the Year was vital to WPU’s postseason run, which included an MCC Tournament title and a deep advancement to the NAIA Division II National Championship quarterfinal round by the #27-seeded program.
As a senior, Walker averaged 11.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in addition to 22 steals and 15 blocks. He had five double-doubles and one triple-double this year and was named MCC Player of the Week on February 24. His 222 assists broke the school’s single-season record, while his 178 free-throw attempts rank as the sixth most in program history.
Jennifer Whitehead (Sr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Biology) is winding up a ridiculous career and got recognized one more time by the league as the all-Midwest Collegiate Conference softball teams were announced.
Whitehead, the MCC’s Pitcher of the Year (fourth time in her career), also guided her Statesmen squad to postseason play. WPU won the league’s regular season and tournament crowns en route to an NAIA National Championship Opening Round appearance.
She finished with a 26-10 record and a 2.34 Earned Run Average in 218 1/3 innings of work. She appeared in 39 games (33 starts) and recorded 28 complete games (nine shutouts). The senior had 188 strikeouts against 74 walks, while opponents hit just .204 against her. Whitehead tossed two no-hitters this spring. She garnered NFCA first-team all-Midwest Region recognition and was a four-time MCC Pitcher of the Week as well.
